tabasco popcorn

 

Pop the popcorn on the stove. Add salt. Melt margarine (or butter if you can have dairy) and Tabasco together and pour over. Husband will hand you a box of tissues because he thinks you might get goopy hands, but actually said tissues will be used for copious tears at the ending of The Return of the King film.

vegan tofu raisin banana bars

 

Great portable snacks for a train trip!

I got this recipe from Nutritiously.com, but of course I changed it a bit. Here's my version.

You'll need:

• 2 cups oats
• 300 g soft tofu
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 2 bananas
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoon mixed nut butter
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Do this:

In the food processor, blitz one cup of oats into powder. 

In a big mixing bowl, mash the bananas and tofu together, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the walnuts and stir well. Pour into an 8X8 inch/20X20 cm baking pan lined with a piece of baking paper. Toss the walnuts on top and mash into the batter a little bit. 

Bake at 180C for 20 minutes. Cool down, cut, and then cut your teeth on these guys. We all love them. 

pineapple chutney

 

This was a treat at Christmas, but I think it would be good any time you have ham or chicken for a meal. I'll bet it would be tremendously delicious on a ham sandwich, too, and I'm going to try it on vanilla ice cream sometime. It was packed full of spice, tartness, sweetness, and just overall perky deliciousness. 

(Borrowed from The Healthy Foodie, but I've slightly changed it.)

You'll need:

• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 large pineapple, finely chopped (I used pre-cut pineapple in chunks, but then I had to chop it into tiny bits)
• 1 dried Japanese chili, deseeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 3 T. grated ginger
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• a pinch of ground cloves

Do this:

Saute the onion a few minutes in a frying pan, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low heat about an hour, until most of the liquid is gone. 

Serve with a festive meal or whenever you darn well feel like it. 

curry fried rice

 

I aggregated a few recipes plus my own ideas for this yummy curried fried rice, which one of our sons loves and one doesn't. I happen to be in the love camp. (I served it in my bento with carrot sambharo, another delicious concoction, and yogurt with honey, lettuce, tomato, and a lemon wedge.) 

You'll need:

• ground pork, about 500 g
• garlic cloves, minced, about 5 or 6
• ginger, grated, about a 1-inch or 4-cm knob
• cooked rice (I used 3 cups, pre-cooked)
• 1 or 2 carrots, chopped finely
• 1/4 head cabbage, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• frozen peas, about 200 g
• salt and pepper to taste
• Worcestershire sauce, about 1 T. 
• soy sauce, about 2 T. 
• ketchup, about 1/4 cup
• cooking sake, about 2 T.
• turmeric, about 2 t. 
• Japanese curry powder, about 1 T. 
• 4 eggs, beaten

Do this:

Saute the onions, carrots, cabbage, garlic, and ginger in a tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil, then add in the pork and stir till cooked through. Throw in those peas. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, cooking sauce, and ketchup along with your spices, then add in the cooked rice. Cook till you get little crispy rice edges in some places, then pour over your beaten eggs, let set a few minutes, then stir again before serving. 

If you need to do a little happy-taste-buds-dance, I won't stop you. 

gluten-free and dairy-free potato rosti quiche (from nadiya hussain)

 

I'm not sure if I got this recipe from the show "Nadiya Bakes" or "Nadiya's Time to Eat," but it's lovely and it disappears in one sitting down our four gullets. I've amended it just slightly.

You'll need:

• 1 white potato
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 t. paprika
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 1 T. onion granules (I left these out because I didn't have any)
• 1 t. sea salt
• 40 g flour (I used 20 g rice flour + 20 g almond flour)
• 6 eggs
• 200 ml milk (I used soy)
• 150 g grated cheese (I used soy "cheese")
• (optional extra: I thought I might add a teaspoon or so of nutritional yeast powder next time to give it an even bigger cheesy taste)
• chopped chives or green onions

Do this:

Grate the potatoes (no need to peel) over a tea towel and then squeeze the liquid out. Put the drained grated potatoes in a big bowl and add the paprika, garlic powder, onion granules if you have them, sea salt, flour, and 1 egg. With your hands, squish it all together. 

Grease a pie plate and mash the potato mixture in using a round jar with a flat bottom. Bake it at 170 C about 13 minutes or until a little bit crispy. Beat an egg and put an egg wash all over the crust, then bake 5 minutes more. 

Beat together 200 ml of milk and 4 eggs. You could season with a little salt and pepper at this point.

Put the grated cheese into the bottom of the crust, pour the egg and milk mixture over, then sprinkle with green onions or chives. I cover my crust with a lovely red silicone crust cover so it doesn't burn. 

Bake at 160 C for about 30 minutes (might need more). Let it rest for 30 minutes out of the oven, then dive in! 

dairy-free and gluten-free cashew and veggie "cheese" dip

This is what my Blendtec blender cookbook calls "Garden Cashew Cream," but I call it MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE CHEESY CASHEW STUFF, PLEASE.  

You'll need:

• 2 T. water
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 T. soy sauce (I use gluten free)
• 1/4 C. red bell pepper (I actually read this wrongly and used 1/4 of a red pepper, and it worked fine)
• 2 T. red onion (I used white onion---it's cheaper!)
• 2 T. nutritional yeast 
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 C. cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours and then rinsed and drained

Do this:

Put those ingredients in your blender in the order listed above, and then blast away! 

Tasty with tortilla chips or raw veggie sticks. 

And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go soak some more cashews. 

best black-eyed peas

 

I've amalgamated my own family history of making black-eyed peas with a few other recipes from online, and I'm posting this here so I won't forget next time I have some dried black-eyed peas to play with.

Peas, please! 

You'll need:

• 500 g dried black-eyed peas
• 2 T. grapeseed oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 t. paprika
• 1/2 t. thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• chopped cooked ham
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch komatsuna greens (or whatever greens you wish), washed, drained, and chopped

Do this:

Soak the peas all day in water, changing the water every couple hours. Just before cooking, drain and rinse. 

Saute the onion, garlic, and greens in a big stockpot with the grapeseed oil, and when they're nice and browned and softened, add the black-eyed peas, water to cover, chopped ham, and all the spices. Simmer till the beans are softened and a lot of the liquid has evaporated. But make sure you keep some of that good pot liquor in there! It's great with cornbread. 

carrot sambharo

 

I can never get enough of carrot sambharo---it's great with curries, in a bento, as a side dish at a picnic, or in place of a regular boring salad. I don't remember how I found this recipe to begin with, but I used this one from Bon Appetit as a starting point.

You'll need:

• three medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
• about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 t. kosher or sea salt
• 1 T. veggie oil
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 T. tomato paste
• 1/2 t. ground turmeric
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Do this:

Toss the carrots with the salt and let the salt draw a bit of water out, then drain. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the tomato paste, garlic, red pepper flakes, and turmeric, and stir and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add that mixture to the carrots, toss, and pour over the lemon juice. Stir it all up and then put in the fridge till you're ready.

Or just dive right in! The water (um, glossy spicy carrot mixture) is fantastic. 

jollof rice

 

Last year I got into the "Jesus and Jollof" podcast a little bit (hosted by two Nigerian-American ladies); sadly, there have been no new episodes dropped lately. Anyhoo, I also listen to the "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" podcast, and one of her recommendations for a happiness booster was to make a dish or drink that you've only ever read about or heard about, but had never tried. So jollof rice it was! And I have since made it several times---it's so flavorful and packed with new tastes (new to me in that combination). Here's the original recipe, but I don't put as much heat in as it calls for. I do that at the table for my plate only with Tabasco or sriracha. I halve the recipe (the original one calls for 4 cups rice).

You'll need:

• 400 g canned tomatoes
• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped 
• 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
• 2 onions (purple or white); one roughly chopped and one thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups stock
• 2 teaspoons butter or ghee
• salt and black pepper to taste

Do this:

In a blender, throw in the roughly chopped onion, the red pepper, the can of tomatoes, and 1 cup stock, blitz, then pour that liquid into a big pot and simmer for 10 minutes on the stove.

Also on the stove, saute the thinly sliced onion in a little bit of oil till soft, then put in a pinch of salt, pepper, the bay leaves, the curry powder, the thyme, and the tomato paste and stir around for a minute. Then add all that to the big pot of simmering sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on.

Add the last 2 cups of stock to the big pot of tomato sauce and boil for a minute.

Stir in the rinsed rice, the butter or ghee, then cover the pot with foil plus the lid and turn down to low for 30 minutes without taking the foil and lid off. Then release the lid and foil carefully (lots of steam), stir, and serve with coleslaw, tomatoes, boiled eggs, and fresh sliced onions for the top. 

I can attest to the fact that this dish does indeed make me very happy. Thank you for the suggestion, Happier podcast! 

chicken tofu garlic ginger rice-noodle soup

 

No need for a fancy nomenclature for this bowl of deliciousness; just make it and eat it already. (I have posted about this before back in 2009, but I've upped the yum factor now.)

You'll need:

• 1/4 head of cabbage
• chopped green onions
• splash of soy sauce
• dash of sesame oil
• 200 g rice noodles
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into small bites
• hard tofu
• fresh garlic, minced (lots)
• fresh ginger, grated (again, lots)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 veggie bouillon cube
• water
• salt and pepper
• rayu chili oil for seasoning each person's own bowl

Do this:

Add your veg, chicken, and seasonings (except the rayu), then water to your liking, and bring to the boil. When the chicken is cooked and the veggies are tender, add the uncooked rice noodles. They will cook right in that pot while you stir. 

Dress your own bowl with as much or as little rayu chili oil as you like. I like. 

rice-cooker gluten-free and dairy-free pineapple-ginger cake

 

I honestly don't remember where I originally got this recipe, but I've changed it quite a bit so maybe it won't matter too much that I don't credit the source (sorry, whoever you are!). It's basically a cake made in a rice cooker from a pancake mix, but it's super-duper easy and has minimal dirty dishes to take care of afterward. One of the boys wanted it on his Vaccine Day, so have it he did. 

You'll need:

• 3 eggs
• 150 g gluten-free pancake mix
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons oil, plus extra for greasing the rice-cooker insert
• 100 g soy milk, or milk of your choice
• 1/2 large can (400 g or so can) pineapple, cut into small bites
• soy cream, a teaspoon of sugar, and a splash of vanilla for whipping

Do this:

Grease your rice-cooker insert with oil. In a mixing bowl, beat your eggs, pancake mix, oil, ginger, and milk, then stir in the pineapple by hand. Pour into your rice-cooker insert and press start. No need to choose a fancy setting; your rice cooker is a smart cookie.

Whip your soy cream, teaspoon of sugar, and splash of vanilla to dress your cake. As you can see, we do like a little bit of cake with our whipped cream. 

I shared the photo of the finished cake in a gluten-free group I'm in, and one of the other group members called it "the peaceful delicious moon." Exactly. 

the best gluten-free and dairy-free salmon patties

 

I'm pretty sure I've posted a number of salmon patty recipes, but this was my favorite of them all so far. I served them with colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage and leeks), peas, homemade pickled beets, and a chickpea, cucumber, and tomato salad. Out of the four of us, I'm the only one who does this, but I love sriracha hot sauce on my salmon patties. 

You'll need:

• 3 small cans salmon
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and pulsed in food processor 
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons yogurt
• salt and pepper to taste
• karashi hot mustard powder (I used about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• about 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Do this: 

Mash all together and form into patties, then fry on both sides till browned. 

Serve with humor and hot sauce. 

gluten-free and dairy-free corn pudding in honor of aunt ann

My Aunt Ann passed away recently, and this was the dish that I remember her bringing to family functions, so I decided to try and make it (with the food restrictions that I have now). It's so simple: just mix eggs, cornmeal, green onions, and a few other ingredients and bake as a casserole. It brought back many poignant memories for me. So, in honor of Aunt Ann...

I got the recipe from Feed Me Phoebe, and I modified it just a little. Here's my take.  

You'll need:

• 4 large eggs
• 500 g corn kernels (I use frozen organic and thaw them first)
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 cup organic soy milk
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons katakuriko (potato starch, but you can use cornstarch)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• large handful of chopped green onions

Do this:

Preheat the oven to 170 C, grease an 8 x 8 inch glass casserole dish, mix your ingredients with a whisk in a big bowl, pour in, and bake for about 30 minutes. Let it set for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven. 

Enjoy the sweetness and remember your loved ones. 

chickpea burgers

You'll need:

• 4 cans chickpeas, drained
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• parsley
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• chopped green onions
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup rice flour

Do this:

Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until blended but not a paste. I like to keep some of the chunkiness of the chickpeas. Form into patties and fry on both sides in grapeseed oil or another neutral oil.

green bean and ground beef okazu (rice topping)

 

This is such a super-easy dinner! I got the recipe here on Allrecipes, but I use less sugar and I add onions. Here's my take. 

You'll need:

• 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
• 1 pound (450 g) frozen organic green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/8 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Do this: 

Saute the onion in a little bit of oil till almost soft, then add in the ground beef and cook till done. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a little while. I serve this over rice with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. 

One of the boys just told me that he loves this except for the green beans!